The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Hi,

Just returned from 2 weeks in the Algarve (21 sept to 5 oct), staying in a villa in the Vale de Garrao area just West of Faro.
Plenty to see in the immediate area incl Azure-winged Magpie, Hoopoe, Cetti's Warbler, Red-rumped Swallow, 'Sharpei' Green Woodpecker, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher.

We did have two pre-booked days with Peter Dedicoat and June Taylor from Algarve Birders (and Avian Adventures) to visit the Alentejo area around Castro Verde and Mertola, producing Great Bustard, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Black-shouldered Kite, Bonnellis Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Corn Bunt, etc.
The second day was to the Sagres area and Salgados, extending the list with Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagle, Honey Buzzard, White Stork, Blue rock Thrush, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Greater Flamingo, Black Stork, Zitting Cisticola etc. ( Both excellent days using their 4x4 and knowledge to get to the best places to see things, i would certainly recommend them to anyone visiting this area. www.algarvebirders.com )

A visit to a small lake at Quinta do Lago produced Purple Swamp Hen, Cattle Egret and Black headed Weaver.

Also for anyone interested in non-birds there was, Mediteranean Chameleon, Spanish Terrapin, Occellated Lizard, Spiny-footed Lizard and Scorpions.

Certainly a nearby destination that will reward with some excellent birds and great weather.

_________________
George Rutter

Pete Childs and I had a week from 22 to 29 March based s/c Eden 5* resort in a 2 ensuite bedroom apartment, on outskirts of Albufeira on a hill top with some tracks for walking good habitats around the resort , we had a hire car and were mainly walking various inland routes seeing a good range of flowers and butterflies in some very scenic and quiet locations c 20 km inland, not many migrants had arrived due to cloud and rain in north Africa, we did see
subalpine warbler, melodious warbler, booted , short toed and bonellis eagles, Salgados lagoon was good with lots of water
and 6 species of gull including med , audouins and a ring billed ( a rarity in Algarve ), also lots of black winged stilt, avocets and a few spoonbills and flamingos, cettis, crested larks and zitting cisticolas in surrounding area.
Migrant birds were arriving in numbers on our last day.
weather mild and sunny but strong northerly wind 23 to 25th then very warm 29 oc by last weekend.
Inland walks highly recommended are Roch da Pena , Fonte Benemola, and Ribeira Algibre, (some impressive orchids and flowers) the Alvor estuary National Park is very nice with interesting dune flora/fauna, but rather busy with several kms of paths also used by cyclists ( a warm sunny day ).
The quiet road from Azinhal to Alte has stretches of mixed woodland with cork oak and some good birding, ( azure winged magpies firecrests, lesser spotted pecker, subalpine warbler, raven ) .

The online guide to where to see wildlife in the Algarve was very useful and we used this for finding and walking the inland sites and also
borrowed Georges Birdwatching guide to the Algarve.
As the week was the last at winter prices the cost was only 330£ pp flying with Ryanair from East Mids and booking car hire airport car parking and accommodation online and could have been 65£ cheaper had we booked 3* s/c and the cheapest grade car hire.

regards John